They tested a path of 80's rock and pop influences in 2011, but The Unforgiving brought them conflicting responses. 2014 signals a return to the heavier and more symphonic style we had the pleasure to listen to some years ago, but the soul of the last record hasn't been totally trashed, since the new album Hydra blends tradition and experimentation.

Most people have heard of the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Seems like Within Temptation are familiar with it too, as they've mostly stuck to their guns with the winning formula of 80's pop-influenced symphonic rock over soaring female vocals as per their previous album The Unforgiving, while trying to push the envelope a bit by featuring high profile performers in their latest album Hydra.

I have nothing against commercial music as long as it's good music, and this is, it's just, well, commercial music which may not appeal to everyone. And I think it's good for the metal community, lots of people will listen to the new Within Temptation, go back and listen listen to their older albums, and then progress from there. I know people who became Within Temptation fans because they heard Sharon's collaboration with Armin van Buuren and before that they only ever listened to dance music, and now they like even more metal. WT are kind of like metal ambassadors.

But on to the album, it's quite beautiful. The vocals are excellent as usual and these are new songs, a little generic in some ways but certainly not without their unique appeal. The Xzibit track make me laugh at first but it's enjoyable. Dangerous is kind of meh, and Paradise is great. Tarja can add an ethereal quality to a song and everything blends well. Edge Of The World and Let Us Burn are lovely. Silver Moonlight, Covered By Roses and Dog Days are extremely catchy and stirring.

Though even after all of that praise I'll still concede that most of these songs don't have a timeless quality like on some of the older albums. I can't listen to this over and over, but it's good now and then.

This was a long time coming, we knew it, and by the standard of what it sets out to be it's a pretty good album.

I have nothing against commercial music as long as it's good music, and this is, it's just, well, commercial music which may not appeal to everyone. And I think it's good for the metal community, lots of people will listen to the new Within Temptation, go back and listen listen to their older albums, and then progress from there. I know people who became Within Temptation fans because they heard Sharon's collaboration with Armin van Buuren and before that they only ever listened to dance music, and now they like even more metal. WT are kind of like metal ambassadors.

But on to the album, it's quite beautiful. The vocals are excellent as usual and these are new songs, a little generic in some ways but certainly not without their unique appeal. The Xzibit track make me laugh at first but it's enjoyable. Dangerous is kind of meh, and Paradise is great. Tarja can add an ethereal quality to a song and everything blends well. Edge Of The World and Let Us Burn are lovely. Silver Moonlight, Covered By Roses and Dog Days are extremely catchy and stirring.

Though even after all of that praise I'll still concede that most of these songs don't have a timeless quality like on some of the older albums. I can't listen to this over and over, but it's good now and then.

This was a long time coming, we knew it, and by the standard of what it sets out to be it's a pretty good album.

Maybe, but I can pinpoint a song (that you missed) and that is memorable material, Whole World Is Watching. The message and the instrumental, though they are simply, they're endearing. If anything, this track and Silver Moonlight saves the record as these are good tracks top to bottom, the others have moments and some of them are crap.

I have nothing against commercial music as long as it's good music, and this is, it's just, well, commercial music which may not appeal to everyone. And I think it's good for the metal community, lots of people will listen to the new Within Temptation, go back and listen listen to their older albums, and then progress from there. I know people who became Within Temptation fans because they heard Sharon's collaboration with Armin van Buuren and before that they only ever listened to dance music, and now they like even more metal. WT are kind of like metal ambassadors.

But on to the album, it's quite beautiful. The vocals are excellent as usual and these are new songs, a little generic in some ways but certainly not without their unique appeal. The Xzibit track make me laugh at first but it's enjoyable. Dangerous is kind of meh, and Paradise is great. Tarja can add an ethereal quality to a song and everything blends well. Edge Of The World and Let Us Burn are lovely. Silver Moonlight, Covered By Roses and Dog Days are extremely catchy and stirring.

Though even after all of that praise I'll still concede that most of these songs don't have a timeless quality like on some of the older albums. I can't listen to this over and over, but it's good now and then.

This was a long time coming, we knew it, and by the standard of what it sets out to be it's a pretty good album.

Maybe, but I can pinpoint a song (that you missed) and that is memorable material, Whole World Is Watching. The message and the instrumental, though they are simply, they're endearing. If anything, this track and Silver Moonlight saves the record as these are good tracks top to bottom, the others have moments and some of them are crap.

Yeah they're memorable because they have distinctive vocal melodies and sound good, but there aren't any knockout amazing songs on the album for me. But that could simply be due to the style, I find it hard to connect with the album but some other people might not have that issue. The Whole World Is Watching is great, I probably should have said something about it, but it doesn't change things for me. Good but not quite addictive.

Yeah they're memorable because they have distinctive vocal melodies and sound good, but there aren't any knockout amazing songs on the album for me. But that could simply be due to the style, I find it hard to connect with the album but some other people might not have that issue. The Whole World Is Watching is great, I probably should have said something about it, but it doesn't change things for me. Good but not quite addictive.

I can find more redeeming quality in this one compared to The Unforgiving, but then again this is my opinion. I do not appreciate their new direction either, but they are still able to offer a couple of good songs.

Symphonic pop album with all its positives and negatives. Next time please more homogenic product instead of this multigenre experiment. Few songs are really catchy but rest lacks complexity or even the mentioned "catchiness", which Unforgiving had loads. For me slight disapointment.

I really don't like the direction this band took with "The Unforgiving". Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like they want to do anything different from pop anymore.
Their music is catchy (I wouldn't dare call it bad), but sooooooooooooooooo forgettable - this I think is due to songwriting, which focuses on Sharon's vocal and the "orchestral" samples over everything else. If they wanted an entirely vocal album, might have as well tried acapella.

I would not say I am disappointed by this album, but it did not last too long in my car (where I most get to listen to music). I have moved on from it pretty quickly. I liked Sharon's vocals a lot in the track with Xzibit - the sound of his vocals was actually good but the lyrics for his part could be better.

The album is just not that good as the previous, so commercial. A few nice parts here and there, but definetely not worth buying at all. Not even the lyrics are good, Dog Days is a good example to that. SELLOUT!!

Good album, Just bought it. My WT first, know the band for more that 15 years, but since everything is free now, why bother paying money to strange companies instead of directly to the musicians? Good art of the CD. These are all melodic hymns, somehow sound to that old ABBA with symphonic metal influences. Nice chick music for some close minded metal heads. Let us Burn, And We Run, Edge of the World, seem to stand out for me now. If this is a sellout for anyone, then is a worth one to look or listen, for at least a couple of times. Like it better than the previous one, obviously. Xzibit strangely is no bother to hear in that just one track. Thought I was gonna hate it, but well, they pulled the thing.